Happy New Year
by acciosilverdoe
Summary: Complete. Original title, I know. Kate's never been a fan of New Year's parties, but Tony wants to change that this year. Written for the SeSa exchange on NFA. Tony/Kate.
1. The Invitation

A/N Yay, another update, I'm getting back into this writing thing again. :D Anyway, this was written for Sacha on NFA as I was her Secret Santa, and I really hope she liked it b/c I had a lot of fun writing it. Another NCIS New Years party, BTW, b/c I like them apparently. Hope y'all like it, and please review.

Notes: This is set season 3-ish, but I changed the backstory a little. Twilight never happened (me ignoring Twilight? There's a shocker), so there's no Jen in this. It's Kate's third Christmas at NCIS. In the year about to end Reveille had happened, where Ari kidnapped Kate, as did Bete Noire where he held Kate, Gerald and Ducky hostage. Gibbs killed Ari after Reveille, though (which he should've done anyway). Spoilers for Bete Noire and Reveille.

Disclaimer: I started out with nothin', and I still got most of it left. NCIS ain't mine, and neither is the song that line's from.

* * *

"I hate these things." Kate sighed as she read the invitation sat on her desk. Every year NCIS threw a New Years party, and every year Kate had a good reason not to go. This year, however, she was out of excuses. Her parents had gone on a cruise with some friends, and even her brothers were busy with their families.

"How do you know?" Tony asked. "It's not like you've even been."

She glared at him. "But the idea of them, it's just...." She trailed off.

"They're better than you think," he said. "You should go this year. I promise I'll save a dance for you." He winked.

Kate rolled her eyes and looked away. "Because that's going to convince me to come," she muttered. It didn't matter that his promise made her consider going, she wouldn't let him know that.

Tony watched her closely, hoping she'd take him up on his offer. After all, he'd waited three years for that dance.

* * *

_(Two weeks later-December 30th)_

Kate looked up when she heard a knock at her door, wondering who it could be so late in the evening. She sighed and stood up, walking slowly to the door. Another knock came merely seconds after the first, and she rolled her eyes. Somebody was getting impatient. She pulled the door open and frowned at the man standing there.

"Tony?" she said, confusion evident in her voice. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "Can I come in?"

Kate hesitated before nodding and opening the door further so he could enter. She closed the door when he was inside and watched as he stood awkwardly in her living room.

"So, why are you here?" she asked again.

"I was just, um, in the neighbourhood." He stuck his hands in his pockets and inwardly cursed at his own crappy excuse.

She laughed slightly. "Just in the neighbourhood? Seriously." She paused. "Tony, why are you really here?"

"Are you coming tomorrow?" he blurted out, avoiding her gaze.

"Tomorrow?" she asked. "What's tomorrow?"

"The New Years party." He looked back up at her.

"Oh." She took a deep breath, glancing around the room, desperate to find something to concentrate on rather than him. She had genuinely forgotten about the party, but knew she still had no good reason not to go. "No," she finally replied.

"Why?" Tony asked.

"When have I ever gone? It's not my kind of thing." She wondered why he was being so persistent about this.

"Fun isn't your kind of thing?" he replied, a little too quickly, causing her to flinch.

"You know what I mean..."

He cut her off. "No, Kate, I really don't. You want to stay here and mope. Fine, but why? What is keeping you? Every other year there's something; a family party or a boyfriend taking you somewhere, anywhere not to spend the night with us. But what's keeping you this year, Kate?"

She was silent; she hadn't expected his outburst, and she was unsure how to respond. She spun the ring on her little finger around, finding anything to avoid looking at him.

He stepped forwards towards her, but she put her hands up to stop him.

"Don't, Tony," she said.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I'm sorry for snapping."

She nodded. "Yeah." She glanced up at him. "What's going on with you?"

Tony shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

"It does," Kate replied. "There's something, I know you better than you think."

He smiled slightly at her words. "Why won't you come?" he asked as calmly as he could.

Kate shook her head. "I just don't feel like celebrating. This past year has been hell for me, and celebrating just isn't what I want to do right now."

He sighed. "Celebrate the year ending. A new year starting, full of new possibilities. A fresh start."

"Wow, that's very philosophical of you." She grinned.

"I know." He laughed, but turned serious again. "I mean it, Kate. It's a new start for you. I know you've been through a lot this year, what with Ari and all, but it's all over now. He's gone, he's not coming back."

"Yeah," she mumbled. She knew it was over, after all Ari was dead now, and it was her chance for a fresh start. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something would happen.

Tony reached forward and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Just come, please."

Kate watched him as he left her and walked towards the door. She half expected him to turn around and say something else, but he didn't and she didn't prompt him. She closed her eyes and didn't move when she heard the door open and, shortly after, close. She counted to ten in her head, calming herself down so she wouldn't run after him and demand an explanation for why he was so desperate for her to go to the party.

Slowly she opened her eyes and walked over to the table, picking up the invitation that lay there casually. She hadn't looked at it since the day at the office when it had been left on her desk. He eyes scanned over the words, but no matter now carefully she read she couldn't find anything inclining her to go.

She put the paper back down, walked over to the couch and sat down. She buried her face in her hands and sighed heavily. _Maybe I should just go,_ she thought to herself. Surely it couldn't be that bad.

* * *

So, will she go, or will she stay home? Tune in next week to find out. I'm kidding, it (hopefully) won't be that long. Now, leave me a review. Rectangle, right below this text, green writing...you got it! Now click. Thank you. :)


	2. Confrontation

A/N First of all, thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I'm glad you liked it so far. Also, I did plan on uploading this yesterday, but I decided to watch Gilmore Girls instead of coming online...don't be too upset about that, I was in floods of tears at the stupid show and kinda wished I'd come online! Anyway, moving on, here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy and, as always, reviews are like chocolate...I can't get enough. :P

Disclaimer: In the great words of Phoebe Buffay, "not not mine, not not mine". I think I used that disclaimer already on another fic...

* * *

_(New Year's Eve, 4pm)_

"I'm not going!" Kate whispered to herself. She'd changed her mind countless times already that day, but couldn't seem to decide on one. She'd woken up with an uneasy feeling in her stomach, which she couldn't quite place until she remembered the decision she'd made late last night. Suddenly that choice seemed so ill thought out, and she wondered what had ever made her consider. Gradually the conversation she'd had with Tony the previous night came back to her, and she realized she was no closer to knowing why he'd been so determined to get her there.

Taking a deep breath she got up and began rummaging through her wardrobe for something suitable to wear. This, however, proved much easier said than done, and when the clock in her hallway chimed 4pm she soon began to panic.

_Maybe I shouldn't go, _she thought yet again. She groaned. Why was this so hard? She didn't want to go, that much she was sure of, but for some reason Tony had made her think there was something she was missing out on.

She slammed the wardrobe door shut and collapsed on the bed, burying her face in the pillow. She let out a long, heavy sigh, and pulled the other pillow over her head. _Jesus, Kate, it's just a party, since when did you care what you looked like for the team? _She sat up quickly, realization suddenly setting in. It wasn't for the team, it was for one team member in particular.

* * *

_(6pm)_

"I didn't know I even had this many dresses," Kate muttered to herself, glancing around her bedroom. The floor was almost fully covered in clothes, all of which she'd deemed wrong for the New Years party. She sat down on the edge of the bed, which was also covered in clothes, and pulled her dressing gown tight around her body. She looked up at the clock on the wall and sighed; the party was supposed to start in an hour, and she hadn't even chosen what to wear.

An hour later, she'd given up all together. She pulled a DVD from the case next to her couch and smiled at the cover. _Casablanca,_ she thought to herself. _Perfect for a one woman New Years Eve party. _She opened the case, took out the disc and put it into the DVD player. She walked back to the couch and sat down, pulled her legs up underneath her, and pressed play on the remote. She smiled as the title came up on the screen. Who needed the team when she had Humphrey?

* * *

_(7:30pm, at the party)_

Tony looked around the room for the millionth time, wondering if he'd just missed her. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see McGee.

"Is she still not here?" McGee asked.

"I'm not looking for anyone, Probie" Tony snapped.

McGee nodded, unconvinced. "Okay, whatever you say." He paused. "You should call her."

"Who?" Tony faked ignorance.

"You know who I mean, Tony. Just call her, or stop looking like someone stole your puppy." McGee nodded and walked away into the crowd of people, leaving Tony standing alone again.

Tony sighed. Why hadn't she come? He glanced at his watch again and rolled his eyes.

"Just go," he muttered to himself. He moved away from his standing place of the last half hour towards the door at the back of the room. The cool night air stalled him for merely a second; he knew what he had to do, and he wasn't letting anything get in his way.

Back at the party, Abby nudged McGee's arm as he reached her. "What did he say?" she asked.

"Acted like he had no idea what I was saying," McGee replied.

Abby smiled and nodded towards where Tony had been standing. "Looks like he isn't as dumb as he seems."

* * *

_Almost there,_ Tony thought as he rounded the corner of Kate's road. He slowed down to a jog as he got closer to her house, realizing how worn out he was from running all the way from the party. _Probably should've taken a cab. _He rolled his eyes at his own stupidity.

He took the steps up to her front door two at a time, and knocked on the door. He grabbed hold of the wall, trying to get his breath back, not wanting to look too flushed when Kate answered.

Inside the house, Kate sighed irritatedly when a knock came at the door. She paused the movie, and stood up. The door to her bedroom, which still had clothes covering the floor and bed, was wide open, and she quickly walked to shut it before making her way to the door. She opened it slightly, peering out at her visitor.

"Tony," she said simply. Why wasn't she surprised?

"Hey," he said between breaths.

She opened the door further and looked him up and down. "What did you do?"

He grinned. "Ran."

"From where, China?" She laughed. He was leant against the wall, breathing heavily, his hair damp and his clothes messy.

"Funny," he replied. "The party. You weren't there."

"I know." She looked down. They were silent for a few moments, giving Tony time to get his breath back.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

She nodded. "You need a drink?" she asked as she closed the door. He nodded.

"Please. Water's fine."

"Okay," she said quietly and walked into the kitchen. She filled a glass with water and stood it on the counter. She looked out of the window and sighed. Why couldn't he have just left it? She picked the glass back up and walked into the living room, handing the glass to Tony and sitting down on the couch beside him.

"I should've taken a cab." He took a sip of water and looked over at her.

"Probably." She shook her head. "Why are you here?"

"You didn't come to the party."

"Tony, I know, why is it such a big deal to you?" she snapped, and immediately regretted it when she saw his expression. "Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap. I just don't get why you want me there so badly."

He shrugged and looked down at the glass of water in his hand. "Just thought you should experience at least one NCIS party."

"Is that really the reason?" He looked back up at her and hesitated for a moment before shaking his head slightly.

"It's not too late. You know, to come back with me." He suggested with a smile.

"I have nothing to wear." She admitted.

He chucked. "I'm sure that's not true, Kate."

"Oh, no, really it is." She stood up and took his hand, pulling him towards her bedroom.

"Wow, Kate, never knew you to be so forward," he teased, earning himself and elbow in his stomach. He groaned.

"You deserved that," she said, and he nodded. "Now, don't laugh, but I really have nothing to wear." She opened her bedroom door and switched on the light, letting him see the clothes everywhere. She looked up at him.

"Wow, umm, that's a lot of clothes." He grinned, stifling his laughter, knowing she'd hurt him if he laughed.

"Yeah." She nodded, switching the light back off and closing the door. "Now you believe me?"

Tony shrugged. "I find it hard to believe there's nothing there you could wear."

"Well, there isn't," she replied, letting go of his hand and walking back to the couch.

Tony leant against the wall and watched her closely. "So, you just spending New Years alone?" She nodded.

"Yeah, I had nothing else to do, did I?" He looked away and noticed the paused movie on the TV.

"What were you watching?" he asked, pointing to the TV.

"Casablanca." She looked at him.

He pushed himself off the wall and sat down next to her. "Want to finish it now?"

She raised her eyebrows. "You want to watch Casablanca? With me?"

He grinned and nodded. "Sure, why not? But start it from the beginning, I don't want to be confused."

She laughed, but did as he'd said. "Okay, but don't complain if you don't like it."

He laughed and pulled her closer. She hesitated before leaning into him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Wouldn't dare."

* * *

Fluffy? Wasn't at all how I wanted this chapter to end, but it's written now and I don't want it to change. Anyway, there'll be one more chapter. For now, make my day and review, b/c I need cheering up after watching a really sad episode of Sex and the City.


	3. Happy New Year

A/N Somebody once told me waiting was good for the soul. OK, that was a lie, but I am sorry I didn't upload before, but the last few days have been...weird. I guess that's the only way to describe it all, really. I just finished watching ER, the first one of the latest (and last, how is that fair?!) season, and I can honestly say I've never cried so much at a TV show. Well, maybe that's not entirely true, because I cry at a lot of things, some that aren't even THAT sad, but still I cried a lot, especially at the ring. That's just a gentle way of saying review and cheer me up, really, especially as it's the last chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favourited etc., to Zoe (**satan-wears-prada**) for beta reading all three chapters, and hopefully I'll have another story up soon.

Disclaimer: Nothing's mine. Generic, I know, but I don't feel like adding some witty disclaimer right now.

* * *

As the movie ended, Kate lifted her head from its comfortable position on Tony's shoulder and sat up straight. Tony looked at her, a grin beginning to form on his lips. He reached up and brushed her hair behind her shoulders, letting the tip of his finger softly graze her neck before his hand came to rest gently on her shoulder.

"Tony..." She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

"Yes?" he asked innocently, not taking his hand from her shoulder.

She looked away. "I need to turn the TV off," she whispered, knowing if she spoke any louder her words would jumble together. She rolled her eyes, feeling like a teenager again sitting next to the boy she had a crush on. She took another deep breath and stood up, ignoring how much she missed Tony's hand on her shoulder. She took the DVD out of the player and placed it back in its case, before switching the DVD player off.

"Kate, I'm sorry," Tony said quietly, breaking the tense silence. He watched her closely as she put the DVD case down next to the TV, hoping she'd sit back down next to him, but she stayed standing still on the other side of the room.

Kate knew she couldn't stand where she was all night, but at that moment she couldn't think of what to say. She also knew if she turned around her breathing would start playing up again, so she played it safe and didn't move. The clock in the hallway chimed again, and a quick glance at her watch told her it was 9 o'clock. _Only three more hours of the crappiest year ever,_ she thought to herself. _And what an ending, huh? Not even able to move._

Tony sighed loudly and stood up. He crossed the room in two steps, careful not to stand too close to Kate. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as she tensed, but didn't move. He could hear her breaths starting to quicken, and how she tried, and failed, to keep him from hearing them. Slowly, she turned to face him, her eyes fixed on his.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "I shouldn't have stayed, and I shouldn't have tried to push you into coming tonight."

She shrugged. "It was nice, having someone want me there so badly." She smiled slightly. "And I could've asked you to leave, so don't blame yourself for that."

Tony nodded. "Okay." He mentally slapped himself, knowing she needed him to tell her what he was thinking, but somehow the words wouldn't come.

Kate's smile widened as she watched Tony's expression, and she turned away for a moment to stop herself laughing. When she looked back, he was glaring at her, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"What?" Tony asked in disbelief. _This woman is unbelievable. First she's mad, then she won't talk, and now she's laughing. What next, a freaking song-and-dance? _

"Nothing," she stuttered, composing herself. "Just your face."

"Is it that funny?"

She shook her head. "You just look confused is all," she replied, unable to stop smiling.

"You're crazy," he said, and he couldn't help but smile with her.

"Thanks." She paused, knowing they couldn't avoid the inevitable conversation all night. She took a deep breath. "Tony, we need to talk."

"I know," Tony replied and stepped forwards. He knew there was a high chance of Kate freaking out again, but he reached out and took her hand anyway. He paused for a few seconds, watching her closely to see how she reacted. Slowly he laced his fingers through hers and pulled her closer to him, feeling more confident every second she didn't pull away. He put his spare hand on her waist, scared she'd suddenly realize what he was doing and turn to run away, but he was sure by the look in her eyes she wanted this as much as he did. He leant down and brushed his lips over hers, relieved as he felt her smile against his lips before pulling away slightly. She moved her hand up to his cheek and pulled him back down, unwilling for the kiss to end so soon. He let go of her hand and slid his hand around her back, while she grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled him closer.

When the need for air became too much, they pulled apart, and she loosened her grip from his shirt. Tony kissed her forehead gently and wrapped his arms around her, desperate not to let go. She hugged back, realizing that all they'd needed to say had been said in the kiss.

"Well said," he whispered.

Kate giggled. "Thanks." Stepping back out of the hug, she took hold of his hand and lead him back over to the couch. She turned around quickly, quickly capturing his lips with hers, and he gently lifted her up and laid her down on the couch before positioning himself above her. She leaned up and kissed him again, smiling as he ran his hand down her side.

"Happy New Year," she whispered in his ear, suddenly glad she'd stayed home after all.

* * *

Short, and hopefully sweet. I was going to flick back to the party again, but that took me long enough to write I thought I better not complicate things for myself even more. Anyway, that's all folks, hope you liked it. Thanks for reading, and seeing as it was the last chapter, I just know you want to leave me a review. -grins-


End file.
